I've been putting this off for a long time.
I've tried maintaining a diary but this is just more convenient.

Okay, so on the 27th of September, I decided to go a month without sugar or dairy.
This is the first time I've ever tried eliminating food.
I'm a butter/cheese lover, and I REALLY enjoy my chocolates, so it started off pretty hard, but surprisingly by the end of week 1, I stopped having cravings.

I've got extremely oily skin with mild acne (there's always a pimple or two, either on my cheek or my chin).
I would be fine with that, except they always leave dark spots.

Anyway, by the end of week 2 of my sugar/diary fast, my skin was all clear, except for a few tiny whiteheads between my eyebrows. They didn't bother me at all.

Very happy with myself, and so relieved/grateful to have finally found the cause of my acne.
Went strong with the fast until the 27th of October. Skin was 95% clear now.

During this month long sugar/dairy fast, the rest of my diet was pretty healthy.
Here's what it looked like;

BreakfastStart my morning with a glass of warm water with the juice of half a lemon (through a straw).
Green tea!! I used to start my day with a cup, and end it that way. Kept me clear through college. Don't know why I stopped! Started again on the 6th on Dec.Quaker oats (with water) with a spoonful of sunflower seeds (or ground flaxseed, as of the 4th of Dec)
Muesli really kept my tummy in top shape! Must start alternating with oats for breakfast.

Plain toast occasionally (I've been buying this 9 grain bread, so delicious on its own).

DinnerSame as lunch, except I eat white rice when the brown rice hasn't been made.

SnacksFruits (oranges, papaya, pomegranate, grapefruit)
Eggs don't break me out. Don't know why I cut them out but started again on the 5th of Dec. Can eat a few times a week.

I also took supplements;Becosules B-complex with Zinc, Himalaya Neem Purifying Capsules.

Cleansing regime;Morning/night wash with Himalaya Neem Face Wash, moisturize with Clinique DDMG, Vicco Turmeric Cream for spot treatment.Aspirin Toner occasionally.Sweet Almond Oil under my eyes (started working overnight for me).Neutrogena Ultra Sheer spf 50 during the day.
As of the 6th of December, Neosporin on hard/stubborn pimples. Really speed up their healing.
Egg white masks! Weekly. Result!
Great to follow up with a yolk mask, but those are bloody difficult to wash off.

During this month, I went cycling every evening. Cycling has always helped with my skin.I just started working again though and haven't had the time.
I went to church at least once a week to thank God, pray and to light a candle. This always lifted my spirits.

*note to self* This is the diet/regime I'm back on, as of the 29th of November, 2011.If I'm not posting daily, it means I'm following my regime. Will only post if I've done something differently.

27th October - 2nd November; 6 days of unhealthiness.

The 27th came, and I was so thrilled with how healthy and clear I'd gotten, I decided to see how my body would react to eating sugar in moderation. I started with a tiny cupcake. It was DELISH. No breakout the next day.
Day two, I ate a piece of Ferrero Rocher, and two slices of cake (I was at a birthday party and just couldn't resist =/. I was guilty and paranoid all night).
Woke up the next morning with no breakout. So thrilled.
The following night, I went out drinking. I hadn't had alcohol in months. I experimented with Vodka after a lot of reading up on how it's the least carcinogenic. I had mine with water, but by the end of the night a had a few sips of my friends vodka coke.
I only smoke when I've had a little to drink, and had a few puffs through the night.
Fab night, no breakout the following morning. Again, ecstatic that I'd found a drink that didn't break me out.

I got high twice during my 6 days of unhealthiness. Woke up with no breakout the first time, pigged out the second time (chocolates, chips, a bag full of honey almonds. tsk tsk). Still woke up with no breakout. Confused, VERY upset with myself, but glad I didn't breakout.

Decided not to push it (although I already did, big time), and cut sugar/dairy out again.

2 days passed, and pimples started popping up. One on my cheek, one on my chin, and on my neck, and a big one on my forehead.
Lots of tiny bumps on my forehead.

It's the 9th now, and my skin's still freaked out. Extremely oily and not as even as it was at the end of my 1 month fast, four bumps on my cheek (2 of which just popped up last night).

I'm very upset with myself for what I did to my system over those 6 days. So terrible of me. I just got carried away! =/ Bad Rabanne!
It's been a week since my pig-out, and I've been eating healthy again, so I'm hoping that by week two I'll see results again.
I haven't been cycling though, and my new job is kinda stressful.
I know it worked for me the first time, so it's probably just another month till I'm clear again, but I'm still stuck on how idiotic it was of me to pig-out to that extent. =/

The trick is to get 100% clear, and know how to get 100% clear. You can then have the odd foodstuff knowing you'll get a spot or two, but can deal with it. The cycling would have helped immensely, especially by moving your lymph. It's a big step towards clear skin when you cut sugar. Come this January I'll be two years *almost sugar free.

My case is very similar to yours, just that my gym supplement broke me out like crazy, i cut it off and started paleo diet too. Suddenly, 1 month ago i got acne again. I have to admit, i've been drinking but never ate refined sugars or fatty foods, except sometimes, like one time per weekend. Good luck!!! I'll be following this log

-I controlled my acne after cutting off whey protein, after 4 months it came back.-Then i tried an strict paleo diet, it worked. But the ocassional few pimples didnt let my PIH fade-I wasnt happy with my routine, coudnt drink with my friends, eat different food and the worst: i was loosing confidence-When my PIH was fading, i broke out, because i tried vitamin C to end with the ocassional pimples, which might cause stomach irritation=break out- I wasnt happy because of my diet, just broke out, and i started accutane asap.

- Currently, im taking accutane even thought my acne is mild, but with persistant PIH, just few weeks left, no more pimples anymore.

"If i had a wish, i woudnt ask for flawless skin, I'd ask for the maxium of confidence"Poeple think they are going to be happy and confident if they get rid of their acne...well..they are totally wrong

I hope the antibiotics I'm taking will prevent the ice-cream from breaking me out. It's been a long time since I've had any dairy though, and my tummy is not pleased..

The BP does not agree with me. Glad I'm finally logging this, because I'm pretty sure I've used BP in the past with the same results.Kicking myself for making the same mistake over. Both the pimples on my cheek were white and looked pretty ripe, and probably would have been gone in a couple more days, had I stuck to the Vicco Turmeric.The BP did nothing but make my pimples REALLY hard. I did a search on google and found a few other people with the same issue.

**note to self: NEVER USE BP AGAIN**

Any idea how to get rid of these? A facial steam maybe?

The trick is to get 100% clear, and know how to get 100% clear. You can then have the odd foodstuff knowing you'll get a spot or two, but can deal with it. The cycling would have helped immensely, especially by moving your lymph. It's a big step towards clear skin when you cut sugar. Come this January I'll be two years *almost sugar free.

*Had a couple of slips here and there.

Hi CaptainSunshine! Thanks for writing in. Congratulations on going strong for 2 whole years! *cheers*I knew nothing of the lymphatic system prior to reading your post. Googled it!Must make it a point to resume cycling daily.

My case is very similar to yours, just that my gym supplement broke me out like crazy, i cut it off and started paleo diet too. Suddenly, 1 month ago i got acne again. I have to admit, i've been drinking but never ate refined sugars or fatty foods, except sometimes, like one time per weekend. Good luck!!! I'll be following this log

Happy with my Neem face wash, but with all the ice-cream (and a whole lot of Vinegar Lays) I've consumed these past two days/no exercise, I felt like I needed to start using my 2% SA face wash (Saslic DS by Cipla) to be on the safe side. It has helped me in the past and I always have an emergency bottle in my bathroom.
One of the two pimples that were hardened by the BP uprooted in the shower. It's like a tiny little open wound, with the area around it a little raised.

Still haven't found what works on popped pimples, to prevent them from leaving dark spots.

Lunch: cold rice and chicken soup. Mmm.
Evening snack: a fruit salad consisting of watermelon, papaya and grapefruit.
Dinner: cold rice and chicken soup again, with a side a cauliflower.
Snacked on a cucumber after dinner.
Got really hungry at 2 AM and ate three chappattis.
Started taking my neem and purim tabs again.

I waited atleast half an hour before drinking water before/after my meals.
I'm letting my body do what it has to on its own.

Still using the 2% SA wash.

Just yesterday I'd decided to never use it again. Both the pimples it had hardened came off on their own in the shower today though.
I guess that's a good thing. Using it on a spot that I have on my forehead now.
Applied Neosporin ointment (cream version not available in Bombay) on the open spots.

I've been very ill, and have barely been able to eat or drink anything (the meds from the extraction did not agree with my system; 6 very painful throat ulcers).
Lots of sleep and medication.
What I did eat though, I made sure was healthy. No new breakouts.

I've been having my veggie juice everyday so far.
Added a tablespoon of EVOO to tonights batch.

I have to admit, I haven't been following my no sugar or dairy diet too closely. I've been giving in to cravings, but not going crazy with it (just a cube out of a slab of dark chocolate after dinner, and I only 4 chips when I can't hold back). I even had a cup of apple pie flavoured frozen yogurt. Ohmygosh, it was SO good. No new breakouts, but I must do a month without any junk.
Not drinking enough water and skipping meals because of work. Haven't cycled in a while.
Started taking my himalaya pills.

Started my day with a cup of warn water with half lemon squeezed in it.
Idlis for breakfast.
Lunch: oats with sunflower seeds, toast with evoo.
Cycled after work today! For a whole hour.
Veggie juice post cycling. This time I added a tomato.
Brown rice with chicken wanton soup for dinner.
My mum brought me baklava on her trip to Israel. Its been in the fridge, untouched, for a week. I had a piece after dinner tonight. It was amazing. I feel slightly guilty..
Drank 2.5 litres of water.
Snacked on these delicious bran crisps at work. Might have over done it as my tummy feels a bit funny.
B complex with zinc and neem tab.

Morning: lemon juice with warm water
Breakfast: idlis
Lunch: fenugreek rotis
Late evening: watermelon and papaya
Veggie juice
Multigrain bread with EVOO
Dinner: brown rice with chicken wanton soup
Vinegar chips (only about 5) and a tiny piece of chocolate for dessert. I'm a bad boy. It was so easy going off sweet things the first time around! I'm just being so healthy with the rest of it though, I guess this is a good balance. No new spots.
2 litres of water through the day.
An hour of cycling after work.

Lemon juice with warm water on waking.
Toasted bread with evoo.
Breakfast: idlis.
Very late lunch: oats and some more toast with evoo. I can't get enough!
Cycled for an hour.
Didn't have the energy to make my veggie juice.
Dinner: brown rice with daal and okra and tomato bhaji.
One piece of baklava for desert. I savoured every bite. Mmmmmmmm.
Ate a galaxy chocolate flute while watching SATC. >=) I knooww. It was such a good night though!

No sweets today!
3 new whiteheads from all the chocolate I ate last week.. I can deal with those..
And a tiny hard spot on my right temple.. And one on my jawline.
Note to self: Eating chocolates excessively/on the daily DOES break me out. A tiny treat once or twice a week does not. Once I start eating desert again though, it's very hard for me to stop. Keep that in mind.
Go strong with this one week off, and then take it from there.
STICK TO DIET EVEN WHEN CLEAR. DON'T FORGET THAT BEING CONSISTENT IS THE ONLY WAY TO STAY CLEAR. I ALWAYS forget and go off track. Do not!

Warm lemon water

Lunch: Parathas with chicken, white rice with bhendi

Snack: Idlis

Veggie juice
An hour of cycling

Chicken and turkey sub for dinner

No desert! Mmhmm.

Mad at myself for all the sweet stuff I had last week. I always go down that road when I'm clear.

I put a neem mask on before showering tonight, and used the vicco all over instead of my ddmg.
xxxo

Been a week, going strong with my no dairy/sugar diet, and results are showing. =)
Old spots healing!
I ran out of flaxseeds today, and went out and bought cold pressed ground flaxseeds.
Flaxseeds have been immensely helpful to my skin. SO excited to start using my purchase!
I even bought a 5 day strip of pre/probiotics. Took my first dose with dinner.
Happy inside = happy outside!

Bought some spinach for my veggie juice, and broccoli, to snack on.
Ate a green aple, a pear and some grapefruit today as well.

Made myself scrambled eggs as an evening snack. I was feeling extremely drained and needed the protein.
Eggs never break me out, I'd just stopped eating them because of the high colesteral.
Ate a sweet potatoe. Trying to gain weight..
Pears are absolutely delish!
Neosporin on the two hard, healing spots cause they're taking a long darned time to actually heal.
They've gone down in size since my first application last night.
Reducing my olive oil intake as my skin has been ridiculously oily.

Started my day with a cup of green tea.
Basmati Brown rice, daal and broccoli for lunch.
Lots of grapefruit throughout the day.
Oatmeal and ground flaxseed and an omelette for a rather large evening snack.
basmati Brown rice with olive oil and broccoli for dinner.

Polysporin's really doing it for me! Both my old spots are going down in size nicely.

Egg white mask while I'm typing this.
Will use the yolk after!

Once again, I'm so happy I'm logging!
I've used the egg white mask before, when I was clear and needed help with my skin tone/dark spots. It worked amazingly!
Just washed up and my skin feels (and looks) silky smooth!
Waiting for the egg yolk to dry now.

Woke up in time for lunch today. =")
A cup of green tea with half a lime squeezed in. (through a straw, of course)
Lunch: brown rice with olive oil, boiled broccoli and potatoes.
Some grapefruit.
Evening snack: a bowl of oats with ground flaxseeds.
And then I cheated. Just a tiny bit.
A friend sent a Christmas party invite, along with chocolate cake.
Knowing that I'd just had a bowl full of fiber and omega 3, I gave in and literally had half a spoonful (flattened).
A wee bit guilty, but oh so happy!
Another cup of green tea and half a melon.
Going cycling shortly..